Railway-semaphore.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

C. W. COLEMAN. RAILWAY SEMAPHORE.

APPLICATION FILED 0G'1.3l. 1905. RENEWED OGT.12.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

fizneavea.

No. 882,929. PATEIHEU 24, 1908. O. W. COLEMAN.

RAILWAY SBMAPHORE.

APPLICATION FILED 001231, 1905. RENEWED 00112.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 5 UNITED STAW'PENT osmo CLARENCE W. COLEMAN, OF WESTFlELD,'NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALL SIGNAL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF lViAINh Speciflcetion of Letters Patent.

Patented March 24, 1908. Q

.dppiicetion filed October 31,1905, Serial No, 285,212. Renewed October 12, 1907. Serial No. 397,189.

To oli'wizlom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE W. CpLE- iuriiv, ocitizen of the United States, resldin at Westfield, the county of'Union and rnent of danger, on. element of safety, in-' creasing the ne not tendency of the se1na or position.

phone to the den My invention for its principal object to provide a, semaphore liming one or more spectacle-openings on one side or its plvot I and weighted, on the other side of its pivot ost, with tin independently of the blade so es'to go to don er by gravity whether assisted by the blots or further assisted by snow and ice on the blade or deprived of the assistance of the blade by reason of tlio fact thot'the blade has been broken oil or disconnected, so that the spectacle portion would go to danger at sli times end under all conditions except when forcibly moved to clear by the operating mechanism.

Other objects my invention will appear from the follow. rig description of the a pe rotus embodying my invention whic 1 is illustrated the coco shying drawings.

l: will now describe such opporetns and will thereafter point out my 'iilVQHlilUll in claims.

Figure 1 a :h' ntelevstion of e, Stilllfir nhorc end the upper pert'otits supporting semaphore in the danger po sition, Fig. is 21, ion View of the some with the post in section. Figs. 3 and 4 are front elevations of the ports shown in 1 with the semaphore in the two other positions of indication, Fig. 3 showing the cow tion or distant danger position end. Fig, t the safety or clear position. Fig. 5 is at front elevation of a semaphore and the upper part of its supporting post. this sonmphore being of modihed construction to odoptit for cooperation-with e signaldemp held on top of the post and being shown in the sefety position; Fig. '6 is an end elevation of the some; Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the some, with/the semaphore in the danger position. I

I willfirst describe the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4,, inclusive.v Here the sem c phore-post a, is of standard construction, es is a so the signal-lamp b, and. the si nollamp 1s, as usual in double track 'b ocksignais supported. on a bracket 0 at the side ,of the post opposite to that ot'which the semsphorebla e (Z is located; The se ner phorecomprises the blade (2 and the spectoole portion e, these two portions of the somephore being made in. two parts, the s ectacle portion, or, as it is usuellv termed, t e spec" tools-costing, including the pivot and specteole openings and carrying the semaphoreblo'de, the semaphore-blade being bolted to the spectacle portion in the usual. manner.

Three spectacle-openings, g, y and r, are

formed 111 the spectacle portion and are lonoted so to cooperate with the signallamp in" the different positions of the semaphore. Spectacles or coiored or colorless glasses may he fitted in these spcctocleopenings in any desired manner, or the spectacle:

openingis may be. ortiy' unprovi ed with spectoc cs, as may e desired, to adapt the semaphore for use as othIee-position si e two-position home-signal, o two-position distant-signal, o switch signol, or to any of the uses of archway-signal. As shown, at

spectacle is provided in each opening, which maybe green at g for safety, yellow at 'yfor caution and red at r for dangcn By reason of the fact that the signeldsmp is located at the side of the post opposite to that at which the some ho're biede projects,

the port of the specter: e-portion wnich has the speotocleopenings therein is-lergel,

noted at the lamp side'of, the post. I" the semaphore-blode is made of wood, its weight will not be great, but will be added to that of the port otthe spectacle portion-ct the hiede side of the pivot, end it will moreover rovide a large surface upon which snow on ice may accumulate, and the weight of snow and ice on the blade will only increase the norincl tendency of the semaphore to danger position. It is to be noted that the part of the spectacle portion which is on the side of the pivot opposite the blade side does. not

roe

point of fastening ol' the have a large surface near the center and could not therefore. w itiljt a maxin'nun accmnulation ot' snow and iee thereon, exert. a countervailing tort-e :tlt'lt as could materially disturb theinornnd tendency to danger, while' the blade. extending out as it does ,a very considentble tt'istanee from the center and having a large surface,

may not only accumulate a eonsiderable quantity of snow and ice but would carry such an accnmulatitm at comparatively large distances l'rom the center, with eonse quent considerable leverage, so that accumulations of snow and ice on the blade, which would always add to the normal tendency to danger positionpmay at times exert a eon sidcrable gravitatitmal force. In view of the fact, however, that the blade is connected to the spectacle portion by fastening devices, which may possibly become loosened, and that it may be broken oil or torn otl' by extraordittary wind pressure or otherwise, and that at night such a broken condition would not be evident, 1 provide against any possibility of the absence ol' the weight ol' the semaphore-himle by separately weighting the spectacle portion on the blade side so that it will go to danger independently ol' the blade. Therefore, w tetlier or not the blade is secured to the spectacle portion. the spr-rtaelo portion will gravitate to danger position at all times except when compelled by the mechanism to give sal'etiy itulimtions. This wei hting l. ell'ect by thickening the part? of t 10 spectacle portion in proximity to the blade, such part ,ol' the spectacle portion being at greatest distance l'rom the. pivotal center 'On the blade side of the pivot, and being located at the blade side ol' the pivot in all positions ol' the semaphore.

'lhc semaphore is secured to the semaphore-shalt j. on whit-h. is also secured a crank /r; and an operating wire tis secured to the crank and operates to pull the signal to clear under the control ot' automatic or man- 'ually opt rated mechanism as may be desired, itlt lever, gas, pneumatic, electrical or other operating mechanism.

The upper vertical or clear position of the semaphore is shown in Fig. 1. From this position it gravitates to the horizontal or danger position and its movement is arrested at. this position by a stop-serew 1 on the signalpost, engaging the crank on the Stltltl:

phore-shait. A jam-nut t7 locks the stopscrew in proper position.

The construction shown .in Figs. 5, t; and 7 ditl'ers from that shown in Figs. 1 to -I, inclusive, in that the s metaele-openings are located so as to cot'iperate with a signal ztmp b on top ol' the sentaphore-post, as is desirable where semaphores for two directions are mounted upon the same post. Here the spectacle portion is largely above the pivot 3 photo-blade, the part lhereol and is t'ontpatat ively when the semaphore is in the safety position The construction here shown embodies the present invention in that the spectacle por-- tion ts weighted on the blade side so as to go V to danger independently ol' the blade. 'lhe thiekenedtn' weighted part is located atthe lower right hand corner of the spectacle portion. 'lhe post 11 has its upper portion removed to provide for the proper placing and support of the lamp. In other respects the eonstrtu-tion is the same as that above described. 'lhe actuating mechanisms for the semaphores are not shown. as any ordinary or suitable actuating nteehz'tnism may be employed.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the constructions shown and above particularly deseribed within the principle and scope of my invention.

What I claim and desire to secure byLetters latent is? v I .1. The combination, with a semaphoresupport. of a. pivotally mounted semaphore int-hiding a spectacle portion and a semaphore-blade,the semaphore-blade being movable with the spectacle portion and movable downward from the safety to the danger position. the semaphore having a spectacle opening on one side of its pivot and being weighted on the other side of its pivot so as to go to danger by gravity independently of the blade. 2. The combination. with a semaphoresupport, ct apivotally mounted semaphore irrt'ludiug' a pecta le portion and a se1na the speetaele portion and semaphore-blade being in separate pieces connect ed so as to move together and the blade being movable downward from the safety to the danger position. the semaphore having a SIHt'lttt'ltvflPtlllF on one side of its pivot and being weighted on the other side ol its pivot so as to go to danger by gravity independ ently ol' the blade. A

Ilflhe combination, with a sonaphoresupport, of a pivotally mounted semaphore including aspectaeleportion and a semaphore-blade, the spectacleportion and semaphore-blade being in separate pieces e0nneeted so as to move together about a common pivotal center, the semaphore-blatle be? in located at one side of the pivotal center and arranged so as to move downward "from the safety to the danger position and the semaphore having a spectacle-opetting located at the side ot the pivotal center 0pposite that at which the blade is located and being weighted on the blade side of the pivotal center so as to go to danger by' gravity independently of the blade.

t. The combination, with a semaphoresupport, of a semaphore including a pivot.- ally mounted spectacle portion and a sei'naphore-blade, the spectacle portion and semaphore-blade being in separate pieces conseason nested so as to'move together and the blade tionbaving a s )pctacl-e-opening on one side of its Wot and elng separately welghtedon v the ot or side of its pivot so as to go to dan- -ger by gravity independently of the blade.

5.; fll1efeo1nbinction, with'a semaphore support, of a semephoreincluding a pivotally' mounted spectacle portion andsemaore blade, the spectacle portion and semapnorebede being in separate pieces oonnected so as to move together about a com nion pivotal. center, the semapbore'blade loosted at one side of the pivotal cenand arranged so as to move downward F trons. the safety to the danger position, and

po lion and the pectocie portion having a spectacle opei.;.reg located at the side of the ")lVOllEtl oppos te that ct which the bla e is loside of the pivotal center so as to go anger by gravity independently of the a The eonibinstien, with a semaphoredrt, of a semaphore including a. spectacle semaphore-blade, the semaphore i. m pivotally mounted on a center at one .e of the blade so that the blade at one i e of the pivotal cen and the spectacle l opening the other E io pivotal when the somaphore 1n the safety position and being arr'enged so that the blade moves downward all) from the safety to the danger position, the phore being weighted on the blade side. votal center so to go-to danger byv o gravity nalcpendently ol the blad '2. The combination, With. a semaphoreortion and semaphore-sleds, the semaphore being pivotally.mounted on o center at one side of the blade and arranged. rcletively to its )lVObtl-l center so that the blade is at one sit e of the pivotal center and the spectacle portion is at both sides of the pivotal center when the semaphore is in the safety p iition. and so that the bladenioves downward from the safety to the danger position, the spectacle portion being" separately Weighted on the blade. side of the pivotal center so, as to go to danger by gravity independently of the blade.

' when 8. The eoniltiinotion, with semaphoresupport, of a semaphore including a spectacle portion and seimuihorwblade, the spectacle portion and semaphore-blade being in separate pieces connected so as to move together about a common pivotal center located at one side of the .bladeand the semaphore being arranged relatively to the pivotal center so that the blade is at one side of the pivotal center and the spectacle poi"- tion is both sides of the pivotal center the semaphore in the safety position sated ttflf. being separately Weighted on the ot a semaphore including a specsupport, of osem'apho including a. spectocle portion and semaphore-blade, the

semaphore being ivotally mounted on a center at one side 01 the blade and supported so that the blade is located at one side of the support, and a signoldarn located at the other side of the support, t e spectacle portion having a spcctacle-opening disposed so as to cooperate with the lamp, the semaphore being Weighted on the blade side of the pivotal center so as to go to danger by gravity independently-pf the blade, and the blade being moved downward. from the safety to the danger position.

10. The combination,- With a semaphoresupport, of a semaphore includin a spectacle portion and. some here b ado, the semaphore being pivot-a y mounted on a center at one side of the bladeand supported so that the blade is locatedat one side-0t the so .port, and a signal-lamp located. ot the ot .ier side of the support, the spectacle portion having a spectacle-opening disposed so as to cooperate with the lamp and beingsep-- aretely Weighted on the blade side of the pivotal center so to o to danger by ravi'ty independentlyof t 1e blade, and the olade being movable downward from the safety to the danger position.

11. The combination, with a sen'iaphoresupport, of a semaphore including a spectacle portion end a semaphore-blade, the spectacle portion and semaphore-blade being in separate pieces connected so to move together about a common pivotal center located one side of the blade, and the semaphore being supported so that the blade is located atone side of the support, and a sigmoid-(imp located at the other side of the support, the spectacle portion. having a. speetacle-opening disposed so as to cooperate with the lamp, the semaphore being We1ghted on the blade side of the pivotal center so as to go todangcr by gravity independently oi the blade, and the blade being movable downward from the safety to the danger position.

'12. The combination, with a semaphoresupport, of e semaphore. including a spectacle portion and se111ophorel lacle, the spectacle portion and semaphoreblade being in separate-pieces connected so as to move together about a common pivotal center lo sated-at one side of the blade, and the some phore being supportedso that the blade is located at one side'ol the support, and 81 signaldornp located at the other side of the support, the spectacle portidn having a spectacle-opening disposed so as to 006 erate withhthgllamp and beilrlig separafely Weighted signature in presence ofitwo witnesses.

on t e ade side of t e pivota center so as T T v to go to danger by gravity independently of CLAREA CE W L 5 the blade, and; the blade bei movable downward from the safety to t e danger position.

Witnesses:

HENRY D. WILLIAM BERNARD OowEN.

. In testimony whereof I have affixed my v 

